Naegleria gruberi

Phylogenetic information

Nuclear Phylogeny:

Naegleria is considered to be one of the earliest diverging protists
with mitochondria. Nuclear rRNA phylogenies support this view: in such trees, heterolobosea
emerge at the base of mitochondria-bearing eukaryotes, together with trypanosomatids and euglenoids. All three taxa feature extraordinarily
long branch lengths (e.g., Sogin et al. (1996), Microbiologica 12:17-28;
Abstract).

Mitochondrial Phylogeny:

In trees based on mitochondrial proteins, N. gruberi also appears
to be a deeply diverging eukaryote, basally associated with the jakobids
(BFL, unpublished results); however, bootstrap support for this affiliation is low (<
65%). Sequences from other heteroloboseans, such as Macropharyngomonas
and another species of Malawimonas, will be needed to confirm/reject
this postulated relationship of N. gruberi within the mitochondrial
lineage.